The Smile of Fate
by HubiKoshi
Summary: It all began in the small city of Uminari, the story of loss and gain, the story of sadness and happiness. It all began there, but soon encompassed a far greater world which not many are aware of. This is a story of a person whom Fate smiled upon.


The room was of the larger kind, one you could only see in a large mansion out of a melodrama about the lives of rich and powerful. The windows which span the entirety of one of the walls were covered in thick drapes which allowed only the faintest of light to pass through them. The ever present gloom filled the room, barely mitigated by the light outside.

In the middle of the room, placed against one of the walls stood a large four poster bed, one you could associate with a princess' room and within it there indeed were two noble little girls, 10 years old at most. Hidden underneath the thick light coloured blanket they slept peacefully. Or at least one of them did blissfully ignorant of the fact that her bed mate was plagued by bad dreams.

The one deprived of peaceful sleep had auburn hair which crowned her head with an aureole as they spread on the cushion. The little one gasped for breath, half words, half cries escaped her lips as her hands clutched onto the blanket which covered her. Her entire small frame trembled with fear as the unseen nightmare played itself out in front of her closed eyes.

Then her eyes snapped open as she managed to escape the dream which plagued her as a fearful cry escaped her lips. The irises, the colour of amethysts, trembled as her eyes shot back and forth around the bed as if even in her wakefulness she still feared what she just witnessed. Her heart pounded in her chest, strong enough to make the top of her pajamas lift slightly with each beat. She was scared, confused, unsure whether she was still in the world of dreams or awake. Her eyes were still half-closed, unseeing as she cast them around incapable of seeing anything but the darkness. The hollow scream from her dreams still echoed in her ears, reverberated through her whole body as it made her curl up in fear.

But then another sound intruded itself upon her, one filled with enthusiasm and happiness. The birds, which flocked around the forest that grew just outside the building, chirped happily on the other side of the windows as they sung praise to the beautiful summer. They flew from one place to another, pecked the glass of the window now and then and all around caused enough ruckus to wake the very dead.

The few most persistent rays of sunlight pierced the thick drapes and some even managed to reach the bed itself, the darkness which encompassed the entire room brightened slightly and the girl finally realized that the bad dream was over and that she was finally in the safety of the warm, soft bed.

A quiet sigh of relief escaped her lips and then she noticed the sight in front of her and a small smile bloomed on her lips like a flower which emerges after a thunderstorm. Her own heart slowed down with each beat until the rush of blood, audible in her ears was nothing more than a gentle whisper. The other girl slept peacefully, unaware of the way her bed mate was awaken abruptly by the nightmare. A sweet little smile perched on her lips, unlike the auburn haired girl, this one seemed to dream the most pleasant of fantasies. One of her arms supported her head , her long purple hair streamed down the cushion under the covers. Her other hand was outstretched, the small digits spread as if they searched for something.

The auburnette who just woke up smiled at that and touched the other girl's hand gently. Then her own fingers slipped in between her bed mate's digits easily, in a gesture which spoke of experience and closed around the girl's palm. She could feel the warmth as it spread through her own hand and the silky texture of the other girl's palm. Through the faintest of vibration she could feel the peaceful beat of her heart, her own responded to that, it slowed down even more as if it wanted to match the other one. Finally her mind completely awoke, soothed by the warmth of the bed, the soft touch of her friend's hand and her flowery fragrance which spread from her around the bed. This here and now was the reality. The gentle smile, the soft hand, that was the here and now which the girl focused on.

The touch made the one who slept stir slightly, her lips spread even wider as the contact reached her in the world of dreams.

"Good morning Suzuka-chan."

The one who escaped the Morpheus' embrace whispered quietly, cautious not to awake her bed mate. She could feel her friend's digits squeeze her own hand back as if even in her sleep the purple haired girl wished to reassure her friend.

"Munnyaaa... But she won't taste good with mayonnaise Mr. Bubbles... It must be caramel..."

The auburnette blinked at that and giggled quietly, a bit curious what kind of dream would involve such careful culinary preparations.

Her expression became thoughtful after a moment, she was awake now and the very thought of going back to sleep made her shudder at the moment. Since she couldn't sleep anymore she decided that it would be better to just get up and wash the bad dream away with some morning activity.

With a hint of regret on her face, she slipped her fingers out and began to inch away from the one who was graced with the more happy dreams.

Her feet landed on the soft carpet and she wiggled her toes as the furriness underfoot tickled her soles. Almost on her toes, she moved quietly away from the bed, careful not to make a sound. With one last glance at the bed, accompanied by a soft smile, she grabbed the slippers and left the room, the door closed as quietly as possible behind her.

The next order of business was obviously the bathroom which, like the rest of the house, was elegant albeit not opulent. The kind of bathroom which could be afforded by someone who had both plenty of money and plenty of common sense.

It was one of the smaller ones with both a shower and a bathtub fit for one person. Apparently this was the one she visited the most often as her toothbrush and other small items she used were already there. With a splash or two of cold water on her face she wrapped up the morning ritual and glanced at herself in the mirror. An eager smile played on her lips as she tied up her hair in short twin tails which hang from the either side of her head, just long enough to reach her shoulders.

After that it was time to visit her own room, which she didn't sleep in since her friend was insistent that they should sleep together but which contained all of her belongings. At the moment she focused on the two sets of clothes sprawled on the unused bed in front of her.

One of them was a school uniform, a set of a long white dress and a jacket trimmed with black on the edges like the hem of the skirt or cuffs of the sleeves, underneath the uniform laid some rectangular shapes with a leather strap which peeked from underneath the cloth. The outfit resembled the standard sailor school uniforms used in that country albeit with certain modifications. Instead of a skirt there was one long piece dress with long sleeves and a small jacket which one put on top of the dress.

The outfit the girl was interested in however was the purple maid outfit which rested next to her school uniform. It consisted of a long purple dress with puffy shoulders and white cuffs of the sleeves. Laid out on top of it was a large apron which easily covered her from the shoulders to knees, two small wing-like attachments at the shoulder height fanned out from the front to the back, designed to protect the fabric of her puffy shoulders underneath, from dirt it was constantly threatened with.

Without further delay she began to change into the work outfit.

Not long after that she trotted through the corridors, the dress flowed behind her as she quickly paced down the wide carpet, her arms outstretched to her sides, hands upwards at the height of her face. Her feet carried her easily through the long corridors of the mansion, her breath barely quicker than when she got up from the bed.

Her ears perked up as she neared the kitchen area, the sound of knife and pots audible as someone already began the preparations for the breakfast.

"Noel-senpai, I came to help."

The girl announced with the amount of enthusiastic cheer which would be criminal in someone a bit older. For the girl however it felt natural as if written into her very nature.

The one called Noel turned to the girl, her hand stopped mid motion as she cut some vegetables.

The woman was of average height, her hair the shade of electric purple. Clad in the same kind of uniform the woman radiated a sense of quiet confidence and elegance. A maid which knew her line of work very well and was proud of her skills.

"You got up early Nanoha-chan, did something happen?"

The maid asked with a note of worry on her face but the girl shook her head.

"No, I just woke up a bit earlier and decided to come and help"

She told Noel with a smile, no point worrying her kind senpai with some silly nightmares.

"Well I'm glad to hear that."

The woman said with a kind smile which radiated with warmth. Then she blinked and her face took on a note of curiosity as she laid the knife she used, aside and walked up to the girl.

"Something wrong Noel-senpai?"

Nanoha asked curiously as the woman knelt beside her.

"Oh nothing to worry about, your ribbon is a bit askew."

The maid explained gently and with a careful tug at the thin red straps tied just underneath the girl's collar, she adjusted the tiny mistake the girl made.

"Ah, I thought I did it well, nyahaha I'm still no match for you Noel-senpai."

The girl giggled sheepishly as the woman stood up and brushed off the front of her dress.

"Not at all Nanoha-chan it's still much better than your usual effort"

The maid teased her gently making the girl blush a bit. Normally if she wasn't woken up by someone or, like today, by a nightmare she tended to wander around half-asleep blundering into some trouble.

"Nevertheless, in the short time you were with us you have become a splendid little maid."

The maid told her with a kind smile, softening the teasing remark. The girl blushed even deeper, this time at the compliment and shot the maid a cute little smile.

"Now then I don't really need any help with the breakfast..."

She trailed off as her mind ran through the list of chores in need of completion.

"But can I depend on you to water the flowers around the mansion?"

She asked Nanoha , who nodded but then looked around curiously.

"Is Farin-senpai up?"

She asked with interest as she failed to see the last maid who worked at the mansion. Noel knitted her eyebrows together as her eyes went a bit unfocused. Her expression turned to one of gentle worry.

"I'm afraid not, she is still asleep apparently..."

"Can I feed the cats too then?"

The girl asked with a hopeful expression.

"Ah if you wish to Nanoha-chan."

She told the girl with an amiable smile. Then her face took on a somewhat trouble expression as if something worried her.

"I will have to talk to Farin about this though..."

"Is something wrong with Farin-senpai? She was acting a bit weird recently..."

The auburnette asked somewhat worried herself, but Noel just smiled and patted her head.

"It's really nothing to worry about, Farin is still very young and some problems are to be expected."

"Ah if you say so Noel-senpai."

"Don't worry Nanoha-chan, now though, you should probably go. I wouldn't want you to be late for the breakfast."

"Okay, I'm going Noel-senpai."

The maid simply waved at the girl who departed at a sedately trot.

It didn't take long for Nanoha to find the watering can and fill it with water. With a smile she walked out into the sun bathed garden behind the house. It was small actually, several flower beds placed around the paved circle at the back of the mansion. They were a beautiful sight though as all the flowers began to open up, their vivid colours clearly visible as they drank in the sunlight.

She walked around the multicoloured plants, a gentle smile played on her lips as she hummed quietly. Her l body leant forward as she sprinkled the beds. She was careful to avoid the flowers themselves, it would be a terrible shame if the cold water damaged them and they fell off prematurely.

Each flower bed was a home to different group of flowers. There were asters and dianthuses, daffodils and dahlias, but the ones which Nanoha liked the most were planted in the soil to the far right of the small garden. She could see the tiny snowdrops with their shyly bowed white heads and the marigolds which were almost like little suns as they returned the rays of the sun with their own warm colours.

She bustled around, almost done with her chore when a gust of wind which carried salty sea air with it began to play with the trees and rustled her hair as it passed her. She raised her hand to brush the few stray strands away and glanced up at the sky. The sky was clear and blue as far as the eye could see, the day would be very nice, warm and without a drop of rain, she thought confidently as her hand rose to her left shoulder as if to brush away some speck of dust.

With one last glance and a satisfied nod she put the can away and headed for the part of the mansion which should not be approached unless one was prepared to face the terrible horde of curious little furballs. The Cat room.

Nanoha perked her ears up as she approached the room, her eyes on the small flap at the bottom of the door. It seemed like all the felines were still asleep as there was not a single meow as she approached. Her hand carefully on the knob, she twisted the locking mechanism and opened the door.

A smile spread on her lips, all of the cats slept in their baskets, some outside them, sprawled out somewhere around the medium sized room. It was filled with geometrically baffling constructs, ones which would seem like a creation of a particularly industrious madman were their users not max 30 cm tall and walking on all fours. Back in the other end of the room a window let in the bright morning light. It was also one of the rooms with the doors that led to the outside, a small flap at the bottom of the door allowed the playful little creatures to come and go as they pleased.

The girl moved in as her eyes glanced between the various furballs which slept peacefully completely ignoring her presence.

That changed the moment she opened the small fridge which held the cat food. She glanced back and was faced with a somewhat uncomfortable sight of more than ten cats and kittens that stared at her, their unblinking eyes focused on her every move. She only giggled at that and withdrew a large package of dry food and some milk.

As she crouched by the bowls, each with a name on it and began to fill them the various feline occupants of the room began to approach. Some were only interested in their meal but others not so much.

"Nyahaha Good morning Mr. Fluffles."

She greeted the gray little kitten which began to jump up and down in an attempt to grab her arm. She scratched it's ear and earned a happy little purr as the cat nuzzled to her palm. The girl giggled again but then had to look away as another cat approached her and then another and another. As if giving attention to one of the furry little individualists aroused some sense of deep jealousy in the others they approached the girl as well, as if demanding the same treatment.

"Ah slow down I can't... ah that tickles!"

She giggled as one of the cats began to nuzzle against her leg and another tried to jump under her skirt. Yet another began to paw at her ankle and one more focused on licking her hand.

"Sto... stop, I nyahaha."

The girl could barely restrain laughter under the meowing siege. More and more of the cats came at her and continued their relentless assault on the poor, helpless girl. Finally, after one of the cats pulled on her skirt strong enough she toppled backwards. The cats instantly jumped at the occasion and mounted their fallen benefactor in an attempt to lick and nuzzle to her as she rolled and giggled, incapable of fending off the affectionate assault.

She was already short of breath and tickled and licked into submission when a low, growling purr put an end to the little game of lick the maid.

All the cats stopped and slowly, carefully, got off Nanoha who sat up, her breath still coming in giggles as she got herself together.

"Thank you your majesty."

She aimed the remark at the only cat which remained in his basket even after she began to dispense the food. The feline's only response was to open one of his eyes for a moment, as it scrutinized the girl and then closed it again.

It was an older looking large Persian cat. Most of its fur was black with a large white swath of white at the front of its chest as if it wore a black suit of sorts. It was a majestic cat, large, its fur almost gleamed in the morning light which bathed the room through the windows. His body spoke of many battles it must have taken part in, half of its splendid bushy tail was gone and a long scar run across its face from the nose, through the cheek all the way to the large animal's neck.

It ruled the little kingdom like an emperor, it's single growl enough to bring all the other cats into fold. It didn't even bother to stand up or open its eye as it called off the assault. It merely laid there comfortably with its eyes closed.

Now that the cats waited calmly instead of trying to turn her into Mount Nanoha to be climbed on and conquered, the girl quickly gave each of the little puff balls their share.

There was one set of bowls which were empty however, the ones that laid in front of the feline monarch which did not even bother to bring Nanoha's attention to itself.

Nevertheless the girl approached its basket and crouched beside it. Carefully not to let any of the food or milk spill she deposited a generous portion of both into the two bowls. While each of the cats had its own set of bowls and there was enough food for everyone they seemed to ignore that fact. With playful eagerness they began a campaign of hit and run attacks aimed at stealing some of the others' food, this one pair of blows, however was unapproachable . For to steal from it meant punishment and terrible retribution from its owner.

"Your majesty."

Nanoha intoned with a smile, the cat graced her with one opened eye.

"Your food your majesty."

She said as she pushed the bowls closer to the majestic Persian. Nanoha had to wait a couple of moments before the cat even deigned her with its attention. As before one of its eyes opened slowly as it scrutinized its meal. With slowness that spoke more of dignity and pride than old age or laziness the cat rose from its basket and approached its meal. Its expression as if it expected caviar and tuna with fine wine instead of the milk but was forced to eat this poor excuse of a meal.

Nevertheless it came, its eyes fixed on the bowl, one of its paw reached out and it prodded a bit of the food with mild curiosity. It stared at the meal for a moment more before it finally lowered its head and began to eat. It ate with dignified slowness, while at the same time the other cats fought and played over their own meals.

"Is it to your liking your majesty?"

Nanoha asked a fond little smile on her lips, she reached out to pet the cat but stopped the moment it glanced up. It stared at her, the expression on its face unreadable. Finally though it resumed its meal and Nanoha took it as a sign of acceptance and began to pet its head. Her fingers played over the cat's soft fur and scratched its ears but whether it liked it or not she couldn't tell. The old cat never bothered with such undignified behaviour as purring or meowing. It did however adjust its head as if to lead her to the regions it liked scratched, the girl obliged dutifully, a fond smile playing on her lips.

"Well, sorry your majesty but I need to go."

She told the cat as she rose to her feet. The feline glanced up at her, a note of annoyance visible on its face but after a moment it returned to its meal as if grudgingly accepting the hardships the cruel world saddled him with.

She walked out of the room, unmolested by the cats this time and locked the door behind. But as she turned away from the door, the house trembled under her feet as a roar, which could easily put an earthquake, hurricane and thunderstorm put together to shame, echoed throughout the house.

"I OVERSLEEEEPPPTTTT!"

Nanoha had only the faintest of warning as to what was about to happen. Before she could even turn around a thundering stampede swung past her. She yelped as someone grabbed her and carried her off down the corridor at a pace that would make racing cars feel envious.

"Uwaaaahhhhh!"

The girl let out a panicked cry as her kidnapper negotiated a tight corner. The feet of the stampeding beast actually ran on the wall for a couple of moments before gravity reclaimed the offender. She lost her footing on the wall and fell to the ground together with Nanoha, the momentum carried them down the corridor, a small cloud of steam trailing behind them as the friction almost set the carpet on fire, until they screeched to a halt in front of the kitchen door.

"Onee-sama! Onee-sama! I'm Sorrryyyyy!"

The kidnapper leapt to her feet as the eldest Tsukimura maid looked at them with her eyes slightly widened. The offender turned out to be a cute long-haired girl wearing a maid outfit much like Nanoha's. The enthusiastic runner looked to be around 15 years old, her hair the same shade of electric purple as Noel's.

"It's okay Farin, no need to panic about that"

The ever calm Noel answered the panicky girl, a slight frown marring her features as if something worried her.

"I'm really sorry..."

The girl said tearfully, after a moment she sighed, half in depression half in relief.

"Good thing Nanoha-chan is still asleep. If she saw me like this she'd loose all respect for me"

Noel glanced past Farin and then back at the younger maid, she really didn't have the heart to break it to her but it had to be done.

"Actually... she is right behind you."

Noel supplied politely, a note of concern on her face as she watched Nanoha.

"Eh?"

The younger maid spun to stare at the still flat on the deck Nanoha who apparently lacked the other maid's ability to instantly recover.

"Nanoha-chan!"

She yelped and grabbed the younger girl whose eyes were unfocused and swirly, the wild aerial acrobatics they just pulled off, having taken their toll on her.

"Are you okay Nanoha-chan!? Are you okay!?"

Farin almost begged as she grabbed the girl and began to shake her in hope of helping her recover.

"Funyaaaa..."

Was the auburnette's slurred reply as the world spun around her like a demented attraction in an amusement park.

"Oh no! I probably grabbed her when I was running. And she got up before me too!"

The girl despaired loudly.

"Now now Farin, for now just sit Nanoha-chan on the chair and let her recover."

"Ah! You are right Onee-sama. Here Nanoha-chan, sit comfortably and rest up while your Farin-senpai deals with the rest of the work!"

The girl announced dependably as she lowered the still stunned girl onto the chair in the corner.

"Farin?"

"Yes Onee-sama?"

"Is something the matter? It's already third time you overslept this week..."

Noel asked, a note of worry clear in her voice as she looked at Farin.

"Ah, I'm really sorry I... I just don't know Onee-sama..."

The girl replied lamely, apparently as confused as her older sister.

"Shouldn't you go and see Shinobu-sama about this?"

Noel supplied gently while Farin winced.

"Do I really have to? Shinobu-sama is very... enthusiastic when I go to her. Her hands just go wherever she wants and... I'm kind of left in pieces afterwards."

The girl giggled nervously her eyes glancing around.

"Nevertheless you should see her, if it's something serious we must deal with it as fast as we can"

The other maid said, her voice a kind whisper which carried a note of sisterly authority that made Farin sigh with resignation.

"Whatever you say Onee-sama."

Noel gave the girl a gentle smile.

"I'm sure it's nothing and you'll be up and around before you notice."

"If you say so... I couldn't move for two days the last time I went to Shinobu-sama..."

The younger maid sighed with defeat, her fate decided and she couldn't do anything about it.

"Is something wrong with your body Farin-senpai?"

Nanoha who managed to recover by now asked worriedly as she looked the other maid up and down. Farin turned around and gave her a happy smile while waving her hands in the air.

"Naah, I'm peachy Nanoha-chan, nothing to worry about."

Farin stated with an easy grin as she waved her arm around to show off how fit she was. The next moment the kitchen was filled with the clatter of falling pots as Farin accidentally smacked them with her arm.

"Uwah! Sorry Onee-sama!"

The girl dove for the pots, trying to catch them before they rolled away. Noel could only sigh.

"Nanoha-chan why don't you go wake up Suzuka-ojou-sama?"

She asked as her hand rose to her forehead in the time-honoured sign of exasperation

"Okay."

The girl jumped off her chair with a cheerful smile and turned to the door.

"Ah, after you wake her up change into your school uniform. It's almost time for breakfast"

"Yes Noel-senpai."

The girl gave the head maid a polite little bow and trotted out of the kitchen, leaving the sound clumsy-maid induced chaos behind her.

When she got back the room was still as dark as when she left, all the drapes were still in place keeping the light out. The room was filled with warmth, encompassed with that musty atmosphere that made you want to sleep just a bit more.

Nanoha glanced past the curtains which surrounded the four poster bed. Suzuka was still fast asleep, a pleasant little smile played on her lips as she hugged her pillow. Nanoha gave a small fond smile but then clenched her fists and nodded. She would love to let Suzuka sleep some more, she herself loved to sleep in, but it was time to get up if they were to get any breakfast before going to school.

With a strong jerk she drew the drapes open allowing the morning sun to invade the room. Almost simultaneously she heard a quiet groan. She ignored it steadfastly as her hands jerked open the remaining drapes.

She turned around and began to advance on the bed whose sole occupant clutched the pillow and buried her face in it. One had to give it to Suzuka, she was not going to abandon the comfort of her bed easily.

"Suzuka-ojou-sama time to get up."

Nanoha said to Suzuka who remained inert with the cushion pressed against her face.

"Suzukaaaa."

The auburnette climbed on the bed and began to shake the other girl who groaned again sleepily. Apparently she wasn't awake yet and the attempt to hide behind a pillow was a reflex.

"SuzukaaaaWHOA!"

Nanoha took the pillow away from her friend in an attempt to wake her up but got grabbed instead and dragged down onto the bed. Suzuka rolled over, away from the windows, and hugged Nanoha with enough strength to knock the air out of the girl.

"Suzukaaaa..."

Nanoha wheezed out as she heard her bones creek under the pressure.

"Just five more minutes..."

"I won't be alive in the next five minutes."

Nanoha managed to wheeze out before a desperate idea came to her mind.

"Suzuka! There is a giant robot in front of our house!"

That got the girl's attention, Suzuka's eyes snapped open and she stared at Nanoha with excitement.

"Really!? Which One!?"

Then she blinked a couple of times and glanced around the room curiously.

"Eh? Was I asleep?"

She asked, somewhat confused, while her arms mercifully released their death grip on Nanoha who took a deep breath.

"Awww so I guess the thing about the giant robot wasn't true?"

The girl said with an expression that almost made Nanoha regret the little lie. Almost, she thought, as she rubbed her tender ribs.

"Sorry Suzuka-ch... Ah I mean Suzuka Ojou-sama."

The girl corrected herself to which her friend looked at her with an expression of betrayed trust.

"Mou Nanoha, how many times did I tell you to just call me Suzuka?"

The amethyst haired girl complained.

"A thousand and one time, but when I'm wearing this outfit I'm your personal maid so I have to address you properly."

Nanoha stated with a proud smile which made the other girl giggle.

"Fine, in that case I'm calling you Takamachi-san from now on."

Suzuka said with mock seriousness to which Nanoha's jaw dropped.

"Ehhh!? But... anything but that. It sounds almost like we are strangers."

She stated with feigned sadness, both girls looked at each other and after a moment began to giggle.

"Were you up long Nanoha?"

"Naah just got up."

The girl answered with a smile but Suzuka looked at her outfit suspiciously.

"And you already changed into your maid outfit?"

"I was sleep-walking and sleep-changing."

The auburnette shot back with a smile and both girls began to laugh again. After a moment Nanoha fought back her laughter and slipped off the bed.

"The breakfast is almost ready, we shouldn't make Noel-senpai wait."

"Indeed. Go ahead Nanoha I'll come in a minute okay?"

"Sure."

The auburnette left the room in a hurry, leaving the purple haired girl in the bed. Suzuka glanced longingly at the cushion but forced herself to look away and she too slipped off the bed.

Her arms shot up as she stretched and walked up to the window, the bright sun flooding the room with its glow.

"What a nice day."

She whispered with a smile and she too headed to the bathroom.

It didn't take long before the two girls sat in the dining room, a spacious place with a large table fit for more than a dozen people. Noel was bustling around with elegant grace as she deposited the various dishes onto the table. Slices of freshly baked bread and bread rolls, butter, honey, several kinds of jam, all laid in front of the girls who glanced around, wondering what they should eat first.

"Shinobu-san is not coming?"

Nanoha asked Noel who shook her head gently.

"You know Shinobu-sama Nanoha-chan, she loves to sleep in even more than you and Suzuka-ojou-sama."

The maid teased gently with a small smile to which both girls giggled.

"It's a shame we can't all eat together..."

Nanoha said with a delicate sigh.

"All other circumstances aside, maids should not eat with their Masters Nanoha-chan."

The purple haired woman stated semi seriously.

"You are always so proper and by the book Noel-san."

Suzuka giggled quietly.

"It is my duty as a maid Suzuka-ojou-sama."

"Ah but I'm a maid too!"

Nanoha protested hoping that her argument would make Noel waver about her strictness about rules.

"So, would you rather not eat breakfast with Suzuka-ojou-sama?"

Noel countered with a small knowing smile which made Nanoha blink before she sighed. The maid smiled gently as she began to leave, all the dishes already on the table.

"It's okay Nanoha-chan, you know we couldn't participate in this meal anyway, besides there is much work to be done.

"I know, I just wish..."

The girl began but then faltered, there was no point in stating wishes which could not come true. Suzuka touched her shoulder and smiled that gentle reassuring smile.

"Well then if that is all please enjoy your meal."

Noel told them as she bowed politely and withdrew from the room.

Without further ado the two girls began to eat, the variety in front of them made it a bit hard to decide so they simply took a bit of everything as they ate. They were young girls after all, they grew a bit each day and used a lot of energy.

"Ah Nanoha-chan, you have some left on your cheek."

Suzuka warned her and before Nanoha could react her friend plucked the crumb of bread from her cheek and ate it herself.

"Thanks Suzuka-chan."

The girl answered with a bright little smile.

It didn't take them long to finish their meal, after they did they sat back with content smiles on their lips.

"Ah this was so good, I wish Noel-senpai would let me cook some more, I really want to get as good as her."

"Doesn't she give you enough work as it is Nanoha-chan?"

Suzuka asked curiously as she watched her friend roll her shoulders.

"Nyahaha, yes Noel-senpai really doesn't hold back when it comes to training, but I'm the one who asked for it so I won't complain."

She said enthusiastically.

"You are so dependable Nanoha-chan. I feel safer just by being around you."

Suzuka told the other girl while she giggled. Nanoha blushed a little bit at that.

"We should get ready, if we'll be late Arisa-chan will really let us have it."

The purple haired girl said as she slipped off the chair, Nanoha followed her example and soon both girls were out of the room heading to their rooms.

A couple minutes later both girls walked out of the main door of the mansion, their backpacks on, their uniforms clean and pressed, they were ready to challenge the new school day. Suzuka glanced back at Nanoha as she remembered something.

"You didn't forget anything Nanoha-chan? You left your cell phone at home yesterday."

"Umm let's see."

She patted the pockets on the front of her vest, the ones on her skirt and the area around her thighs. Cellphone, wallet and two other essentials were in place. After she confirmed that she gave her friend a small nod.

"Let's go then Nanoha-chan."

The bus came just a few moments later, they boarded it and headed to the back where their friend already waited.

"Nanoha, Suzuka, I've got your sits tak-yawn-en."

Arisa, their blond, sapphire eyed friend waited for them at the back of the bus. She yawned again before they came close and rubbed her eye.

"Bad night Arisa-chan?"

Suzuka asked worriedly as she and Nanoha sat on the girl's opposite sides.

"Naah, I was up late playing Tekken."

She told Suzuka before she spun on Nanoha and aimed her finger at the girl.

"I'm not losing to you again Nanoha! I'll pound you into the floor until you can't move."

"My so aggressive. You want to do some incredible things to Nanoha-chan, Arisa-chan."

Suzuka giggled as she pressed her palm against her cheek in feigned shock.

"D... Don't misunderstand I just want to beat her in the game, that's all."

She shot back to Suzuka, a slush blooming on her face.

"You might have the reflexes of an attacking cobra but I'll beat you with superior tactics and combos!"

She aimed her finger at the auburnette.

"I can't wait Arisa-chan!"

Nanoha shot back enthusiastically said, her eyes almost sparkled as she looked at her friend.

"Good, wash your neck and wait Nanoha."

Arisa declared haughtily but then yawned again.

Suzuka winced at those words as she rubbed her own neck.

"Remembering the last night Suzuka-chan?"

Nanoha asked with a comforting little smile as the other girl nodded.

"Yeah that scrubbing you gave me... awful."

The girl shivered at the memory to which Nanoha laughed gently.

"It couldn't be helped, you were so dirty that I thought I'd need sand paper to get all off that stuff of you"

"Please don't Nanoha-chan, do you know how silly I'd look without skin?"

Suzuka pleaded and all three girls began to laugh softly, not disturb the other kids.

"By the way, you won't believe what I saw yesterday on the way back."

Arisa told them with a mysterious little smile. Both girls looked at her expectantly, having their attention fully on her Arisa giggled patronizingly and whipped out her cellphone.

"Behold!"

She declared but at the same moment squawked as the small rectangle slliped out of her hand and fell to the floor.

"Stupid cellphone, anyway Behold!"

She declared again and showed them the screen, both girls glanced at it and after a moment looked back at Arisa.

"Umm Arisa-chan? This is just your usual wallpaper."

Suzuka told the girl who blinked and looked angrily at the little doohickey. She brought it closer to her face and began to fiddle with the controls while Nanoha and Suzuka watched her.

"What the... but I just left it... where was it again... "

She muttered angrily as her fingers played over the controls.

"Come on I just had it in my gallery... where did it..."

"May I?"

Suzuka offered as she touched Arisa's cellphone, the blond girl nodded and watched as the purple haired girl focused on the little piece of electronics. She checked some options quickly, her eyes darting through the screen, finally she powered the thing down and removed the back cover of the phone. She glanced at the side of it and gently pushed something inside the cellphone, then with a smile she closed the cellphone and handed it back to Arisa.

"Your memory card got loose Arisa-chan, that's where you keep your photos right?"

"Yeah..."

Arisa nodded and quickly powered up the annoying marriage of silicon and plastics.

"A HA!"

She declared, as if the entire previous situation didn't happen and she still held her friends in the suspense. Her hand whipped forward once again and both girls glanced at the screen.

"It's Huge..."

"And so angry red..."

"It looks so alive..."

The two girls kept their little exchange as they watched the picture on the screen.

"Fufufu, do you like it? I saw it when I was passing by the park."

Arisa declared with a smile as she withdrew the phone a bit and now both girls snuggled to her to have a better view.

"Weren't you afraid Arisa-chan? It looks really big and dangerous..."

Suzuka told her friend but Arisa just shook her head.

"Naah, see this blond girl here? She was the dog's owner and she seemed to have her well under control. She even let me take a picture."

Arisa said as she pointed at the blond haired pretty girl their age who stood beside the enormous orange haired dog. The dog was easily the biggest of its kind the girls ever saw. It had a dark mane around its neck and all four of its feet were adorned with long, sharp-looking claws. Its tail was easily half as long as the creature's entire body and it had a curious little jewel in the middle of its forehead.

"I don't know what breed it is though... I asked her but she said she didn't know. Would you believe that? You don't a buy a dog so huge and magnificent and don't even bother to learn what breed it is!"

Arisa shot with annoyance as she gestured at the picture while her friends giggled, dogs were serious business for Arisa. She prided herself as quite a knowledgeable dog owner. Then though a frown crossed her face.

"She might not have been at fault though... I tried looking on the Internet but I couldn't find anything about this dog... I think I'll try checking in the school library they have some nice books on dog breeds."

"Want us to come along Arisa-chan?"

Suzuka asked and the girl nodded with a smile, then Nanoha began to look a bit uncomfortable.

"Ah... about that I..."

Suzuka glanced at her and then opened her lips as she remembered.

"Oh right, you need to visit the flower shop right?"

Nanoha nodded, thankful for her friend's explanation, Arisa glanced at Nanoha curiously and then she too understand.

"Ah that... well I won't be stopping you Nanoha, I won't feel lonely with Suzuka beside me."

She told the girl but a sad little look in her eyes betrayed her real thoughts.

"Sorry Arisa-chan, but I promise I'll help you out tomorrow if you won't find anything today okay?"

Nanoha clasped her hands in front of her face in supplication, Arisa smirked and then began to rub the other girl's head forcefully making her hair stand on ends.

"Ha! I won't need your help tomorrow I'll find everything by myself and will tell you All about hat dog breed until your ears will fall!"

"Please no, I would look silly without my ears!"

Nanoha declared, her hands up to defend her precious body parts, all the three girls began to giggle again.

"Ah it seems like we are almost there."

Suzuka pointed out and the two girls glanced up, indeed they were close to their school now, the bus started to slow down and before long the kids poured out of its metallic interior and headed to the large building dedicated to developing their minds and bodies. Or at least one that gave them plenty of homework and made them run until their legs almost fell off.

The school day passed by mostly peacefully, only during the history classes did the bald, bespectacled teacher glanced at Arisa whose head dropped every now and then as she struggled to keep awake.

"Bannings-san, while I'm sure that to a... foreigner like you our history may not be interesting, please at least do not disturb the rest of the class with your behaviour."

He spoke slowly as the girl blushed furiously at his words. When he turned around however she dropped her head and muttered angrily under her breath.

"What foreigner, I lived almost my whole life here..."

Nanoha just patted Arisa's shoulder gently from her seat between her two friends. The blond smiled at her gratefully but then flushed again and looked away.

"Really! He is picking on me just because I wasn't born in this country..."

Arisa said angrily as she dig into her boxed lunch ferociously.

"Don't worry Arisa-chan, he picks on everyone, remember how he picked on me?"

Nanoha told her friend with a smile.

"Yeah... that old goat, I wish we could get a new teacher instead of him..."

Then she yawned again drawing a worried look from her friends.

"Arisa-chan, maybe you should take a nap?"

Nanoha said while Suzuka agreed with a nod.

"Mhm that might not be a bad idea... I really wouldn't want to fall asleep during the next class. If I doze off during math I'll fall behind you and I wouldn't survive that."

She told Nanoha with a competitive little smile while her friend giggled. After that she moved up to Arisa and patted her lap.

"Huh?"

Arisa asked confused.

"Take the nap Arisa-chan."

"WHA!? WHAT!? IN YOUR LAP!?"

The girl bellowed and almost jumped away with shock while Nanoha glanced at her confused.

"Well... yes, you'd be uncomfortable if you tried to sleep with your head on the bench."

"Bu...But... what if someone sees us? I mean I..."

Arisa began to stutter as her face got redder with each word, her eyes darting between Nanoha's face and lap.

"Oh come on Arisa-chan don't be difficult."

Suzuka suddenly attacked her from behind and the blond landed gently with her face on Nanoha's thighs.

"Comfortable Arisa-chan?"

She asked gently as she petted the golden mane of her friend's hair.

"I... Stop petting me!"

"Nyahahaha, okay okay."

Nanoha sat back and watched with a fond smile as her friend tried to get comfortable.

"But... what if someone sees us?"

She asked lamely, her eyes already dropping as she fought off the sleep.

"Don't worry, I'll stand guard Arisa-chan."

Suzuka offered with a quiet giggle and trotted off to have an eye on the staircase which led to the roof.

Almost despite herself Arisa slowly succumbed to the warmth and soothing smell of Nanoha's clothes. Before long she slept comfortably as her auburn haired friend gently petted her head. There was a wistful little smile on Nanoha's lips, as if she remembered something.

After a moment Suzuka came back quietly, her cell phone in hand as she aimed at Arisa.

"Suzuka-chan."

Nanoha chastised her quietly but Suzuka just smiled apologetically and snapped a couple of photos.

"Sorry I couldn't help myself Fufufu."

The surprisingly depraved Ojou-sama giggled and went back to her guard post.

The rest of their day passed eventlessly and soon enough the classes ended.

"Well I'm off to the library to look for that breed. I'm not getting out of there before I find it!"

Arisa declared loudly as she stomped off, her sleeves already rolled up as she prepared for a hard day of work.

"See you later Nanoha-chan."

Suzuka waved their friend off.

"Mhm I'll see you later at the mansion Suzuka-chan."

"Ah Nanoha-chan...?"

Suzuka hesitated as her friend was about to run off.

"Yeah?"

Nanoha asked curiously. Suzuka watched her for a moment.

"Is it... really all right? Shouldn't I go with you? Or get Noel-san to come?"

She asked but Nanoha shook her head with a smile.

"I'll be fine by myself, don't worry Suzuka-chan."

"If you say so... well see you later Nanoha-chan."

"Yeah. Bye bye."

The auburnette smiled before she turned around and ran off, leaving a somewhat worried looking Suzuka behind. The purple haired girl stared after her friend for a couple of moments but then decided to follow Arisa into the library.

Nanoha meanwhile ran out of the school and began to trot down the street deeper into the city, a small smile spread on her lips as her feet covered the distance quickly.

It didn't take long for her to reach the flower shop, a family owned store she frequented for a while now.

"Good afternoon Kimura-san."

She said as she entered, the owner's son, a fairly tall and slim dark haired man turned to her and smiled. He had a handsome slim face while his hair covered his forehead with free flowing bangs.

"Ah Nanoha-chan, you here for the order?"

"Yes."

She said with a nod as the man turned away and began to check in the storage.

"Ah here it is, clove pink wasn't it?"

"Yes Kimura-san."

"Haha you are such a nice girl, I wish some of my pals could learn some manners from you."

He told the girl as he placed the bouquet of beautiful pink flowers on the counter. The girl took out her wallet and handed him the money she carefully counted out beforehand.

"Thank you very much Nanoha-chan. Are you gonna stay for a bit? I've got some seeds you might be interested in for the garden."

"Sorry Kimura-san, I have plenty of work today. See you some other time."

"Yeah, see ya Nanoha-chan."

The man waved after her with a smile as she ran out.

She cradled the beautiful bouquet in her arms as she trotted back, she headed for the bus station from which she could quickly get back to the mansion. She really had a lot of work today, there was the cleaning, the cooking, helping Suzuka-chan with her math.

In order not to be late she decided to cut through one of the alleyways which went by some older buildings and just as she passed one of them she heard a voice, she thought that maybe some delinquents decided to frequent the place but as she listened the voice sounded younger than she expected. She looked around and then up, from where the voice came and then let out a quiet noise as she saw it.

Someone was falling down, straight at her. A desperate urge to catch him shot through her mind, but before she could do anything she noticed something strange about the person. It didn't exactly fall as much as slowly descended as if it hovered in the air. Without much hurry the person landed in front of Nanoha, apparently completely ignorant of her presence. Her wore fairly simple clothes, short brown pants and a pale green pullover with a hoodie. His hair were a bit unusual for this country, they were blond much like her friend's Arisa. The shade was a bit different though, while the excitable foreigner's hair were the shade of golden sun, the boy's hair were a shade darker, like dried up hay.

One more thing the girl noticed was the small red jewel which the boy held in his hand.

"So It is in that mansion to the north right?"

He asked seriously . Nanoha eyes shot open as her mind caught the significance of his words.

"Confirmed."

The jewel replied and the boy nodded gravely.

"Let's go then, we need to deal with it before anyone else finds it."

Nanoha stared at the boy's back as if not wanting to understand what she just heard, as if she tried to reject the reality before her. The bouqet slowly slipped from her stiff hands and hit the ground. The boy spun around, she reacted to that movement and her hand dove for the pocket in her skirt. But they boy didn't move, didn't advance on her, he just stared with wide-eyed astonishment.

They stared at each other, neither dared to move. Nanoha's hand froze in mid-motion, her eyes on the boy. The boy on the other hand watched her with shock, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to say something. Finally he swallowed and slowly asked.

"You... saw?"

He asked his eyes wide with fear and shock. The girl blinked him as if not understanding but then nodded slowly her hand slowly descending down her pocket. The boy swallowed again and looked around in panic.

"I...well... you see... well...!"

He stuttered with panic as he glanced around as if looking for a way to escape. Finally his eyes widened as if he realized something and he rose his finger at her.

"It was CGI! Yes, it was CGI!"

The boy d yelled at her with a hopeful look on his face, Nanoha almost jumped but began to stare back confused by the unknown words

"CG...I?"

She asked, her head tilted to the side.

"Yes! Yes! CGI! We are shooting a movie here so... it was all CGI and Special effects, really!"

He tried to convince her of this, a wide fake smile plastered on his face as he tried to look honest.

"Ah..."

The girl sighed quietly as she tried to get to grips with the situation. The boy's smile began to slip as panic came back and with friends too. The girl blinked and watched the boy for a second before she too cracked a smile

"Ah... I see... I see!"

She let out a small giggle, her hand slowly slipping out of the pocket. She smiled sweetly at the boy, her eyes firmly on his hands and eyes.

"It was just CGI, I see, Nyahahaha."

"Yeah just CGI, it's not like it was anything suspicious, like... magic or something!"

The boy laughed together with the girl as his mind worked furiously. He couldn't believe his luck... and bad luck. It seemed like he have managed to convince the little girl. Hopefully he wouldn't have to explain the authorities how did he manage to expose the secret so easily. Now to withdraw before she had time to ask any questions.

"Well, sorry I have to go, see..."

The girl watched after him as he backed away from her, ready to break out into a run. She thought for a second and rose her hand.

"Wait!"

Nanoha called out to him and he froze.

"You said... that you are going to that mansion right? I know how to get there, want me to guide you? You seem to be new here so you might get lost."

She asked hopefully and the boy hesitated. It was true that he could use a guide, it wasn't like he could fly around during the day.

"Well if it doesn't trouble you...

He conceded but the girl just giggled sweetly and shook her head.

"Nyahaha, it's not a problem."

"Well then... thank you. "

The boy told her as his body finally relaxed.

"What's your name by the way? I'm Yuuno Scrya."

He offered with a smile, she blinked back at him curiously and then smiled too.

"I'm Kinomoto Sakura, pleased to meet you."

She said with the sweetest, kindest smile she could manage.

"Well then Sakura-san, should we go?"

The girl nodded and picked her flowers up before moving, one eye on the boy at all the times.

They walked for a couple of minutes among the abandoned buildings the girl giving the boy directions as they traversed the small labyrinth of buildings. He began to glance curiously after a short while.

"Is it really the way Sakura-san?"

"Definitely I know this place very well I used to play here when I was smaller."

"Ah I see... well I'll gladly accept your guidance."

The boy told her with a sweet smile and her grip on the bouquet tightened. She kept her eyes on the boy this whole time. Now that his panic disappeared he seemed so relaxed, so harmless, so vulnerable. The girl observed him, glancing away when he looked back at her. Was she wrong? Was it just some kind of bizarre accident she witnessed, she wondered.

But that couldn't be true, she thought, she heard clearly what he said back then. There was only one answer that fit all the questions, and one solution.

The boy on the other hand smiled happily as he glanced around. He really couldn't help keeping the happiness inside him. He was really scared when he thought the girl exposed his secret but he somehow managed to get out of that predicament. He felt bad about lying to her but learning about his secret wouldn't really do her any good and could cause a whole lot of problems. One way or another the boy was satisfied and quite happy with how it all ended.

"Still those are some pretty old buildings, was it really safe to play here?"

"Yes, even though they look like this they are pretty sturdy, and far... from anyone... who could find us and scold us..."

Her voice slowed down as she focused on the boy who looked rather distracted. Her hand slipped into her pocket, her fingers closed around the reassuring handle. For the final time she looked at the boy as if to check if he wasn't looking at her. She already made the decision and there was no going back.

"I see..."

The boy turned to her with a smile.

Which was the only thing that saved his life as she threw the flowers at his chest making him grab them instinctively. At the same time a line of silver slashed out just a millimetre away from his throat. His experience with traps in old ruins paid off with interest as he instinctively jumped back with a cry.

But there was no time to be surprised as another line of silver reflected from the blade of the dagger in the girl's other hand dove for his throat as she thrust forward, her face devoid of expression, only merciless hatred in her eyes..


End file.
